The purpose of this research was to identify the barriers and challenges faced by my mother, an Aboriginal woman of Cree descent, and to determine how she has survived despite the multiple oppressions she has faced. I sought to discover the experiences that contributed to her life story; identify coping mechanisms that contributed to her resiliency; and understand if her experiences could be situated in the context of the encounters of other Aboriginal women. Drawing on both Western and Indigenous research models allowed me to complete this research in a way that holds meaning for me as an Aboriginal academic. I used Indigenous methods, to gather stories through semi-structured conversational interviews with the co-participant, my birth mother. Using a thematic analysis of the transcripts of the conversational interviews I held with her, I identified interconnected themes of abuse and violence, racism, addiction, health issues, sex-trade, identity and family, and school. The findings suggest that my mother’s experiences were not unlike the stories of many other Aboriginal women in Canada. I was able to identify that her humour and intelligence had contributed to her resilience and that her ability to live in the moment had sustained her. But an even more powerful and overarching characteristic prevailed – her primal desire to live. I understand my mother much better now. I have come to acknowledge and validate her experience, knowledge and worldview. In recognizing her life through this research, I acknowledge and recognize her existence: she has an important place in my life and in this world.